Behavioral inhibition and behavioral approach in young adults with very low birth weight – The Helsinki study of very low birth weight adults

Susceptibility to emotional and behavioral problems that has been described among young adults with very low birth weight (VLBW ⩽1500 g) may be affected by an individual’s personality. However, little is known about the association between VLBW and personality in adulthood. The aim of this study was to test whether young adults with VLBW differ from those born at term in sensitivities of the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral approach system (BAS).We compared 164 VLBW young adults, of whom 54 were born small for gestational age (SGA, <−2 SD) and 110 appropriate for gestational age (AGA, −2 to +2 SD), with 172 term controls. Behavioral inhibition and behavioral approach were assessed with the BIS/BAS Scales. The VLBW participants scored lower than the controls on BAS-related fun seeking. Further, the VLBW-SGA women scored higher than the control women on behavioral inhibition and the VLBW-SGA men scored higher than the VLBW-AGA men on BAS-related drive. Results remained similar after adjustment for major confounders (age, body mass index and parental education). Our results indicate that perinatal conditions such as severely preterm birth and small birth weight for gestational age may be related to differences in adulthood personality.